ANS 400 Exam 3

Which hamster species/breed is most commonly used as a pet?

Golden/Syrian with Chinese as second

Which hamster species/breed is most commonly used as a pet?

Mongolian

When did Gerbils start as pets? When did they arrive in the US?

1950s, arrived mid to late 1800s

Why are gerbils easier to care for than hamsters?

Fewer diseases, conserve water well so they urinate less

When did Hamsters start as pets? What were they used for before?

1930s, were used in behavior studies in the 1800s

How should you manage Gerbils and Hamsters?

Housing/care similar to mice, omnivores

How can you tell the difference between gerbils and hamsters?

Gerbils have tails

What is the average life span for gerbils/hamsters?

4 years, Gerbils 5+

What are some common behaviors to consider in gerbils and hamsters?

• Hamsters: sensitive to noise, will fight if housed together (females more aggressive, will bite if nervous

• Gerbils: monogamous, easier relationships

Both are nocturnal

Health considerations in Hamsters and Gerbils:

Wet tail diarrhea is common (vet care needed), will hibernate at temps below 40F, catch colds easily

How do we differentiate rabbit breeds?

By class size and grouping

What are the class sizes and groupings of rabbits?

Class size: Smaller breeds- 4 class (Junior/Senior, Buck/Doe), larger-6 class breeds (Junior/Intermediate/Senior, Buck/Doe)

Groupings: Fancy and Fur

Can rabbits be registered like dogs/cats?

Yes! Rabbits have pedigrees, and those rabbits can be registered

Why do rabbits need overpopulation management help?

Most shelters do not have adequate, safe or low stress housing for any kind of pocket pet

What are rabbits used for?

Meat, clothing, lab animals and pets

What is the average life span for a rabbit? For rabbits gifted on Easter, approx how long do they last in the home?

8-12 years with 10 being the average, more than 80% of rabbits given are no longer in the home by summer

What are some nutrition considerations for rabbits?

Hindgut fermenters, practice coprophagy for Vitamins B and K, commercial food available, feed with roughage, use veggies as TREATS

What should you consider in regards to rabbit reproduction?

Preparation to breed takes 20-120 seconds, the act takes less than 1

Gestation 30-33 days, 2-4 kits per litter, nurse only in AM

What are some health concerns with rabbits?

• Can’t vomit, hairballs cause issues so grooming is needed

• Stress leads to disease, cardiac arrest, paralysis

• Intact females susceptible to uterine cancer

• Need chew toys for incisor growth

• Enteritis is most common cause of death

• Respiratory disease: pasteurella, life long carriers

• Other issues: ringworm, ear mites, abscesses, sore hocks

• VHD and Myxomatosis

What is proper management of rabbits?

Housing: hutches, additional space for exercise, litterboxes or trays with absorbent material, ventilation, anti-tip bowls

Outdoors: an easily suffer from heatstroke if in direct sunlight or temps above 80F

Behavior/Handling: Don’t grab by ears, can be aggressive as pets

How many species of guinea pigs are there? How many breeds used as pets? Where do they originate from?

8 species, 11 breeds

Originate from South American mountains

What is the average lifespan for guinea pigs?

4 to 8 years but sometimes up to 10

What are reproduction considerations with guinea pigs?

Gestation is 68 days, females need to be bred by 7mo or their pelvic bones with fuse and will need C-section

What are nutrition considerations for guinea pigs?

Monogastric herbivores with enlarged cecum for hindgut digestion. Practice coprophagy, need vitamin C in diet, obesity is common

What are health concerns with guinea pigs?

Need chew toys to prevent malocclusion, heat stroke over 80F, respiratory disease and parasites, allergic to some antibiotics, noctural (need subdued lighting)

Quick Amphibian Facts

Evolved from primitive fish, 1st vertebrates on land

• Live close to water

• Eggs lack shell, jelly membrane, external fertilization

• 4,000 species —> Caudata, Anura, Apoda

Quick Reptiles facts

Evolved from amphibians, adapted to terrestrial living

• Amniotic eggs, internal fertilizations

• Orders: Chelonia, Squamata, Crocidilia

What are herpitiles?

Reptiles and Amphibians, cold blooded animals

What are some behavior considerations with herpitiles?

Not much is known, among their own kind the larger will eat smaller of the same kind, solitary animals

Must acclimate with humans, new data suggests that some might even like us

Pros and Cons of having an herp as a pet

Pros —> Less allergies, low noise and odor, decreased feeding expenses, unique!

Cons —> expensive/hard to find veterinary care, salmonella risk, food items, lifespan, supplies, sexing

What are important considerations when selecting a herp as a pet?

Research! avoid impulse purchases, talk to professionals

• wild-caught vs captive hatched/bred

• animal selection and handling prior to purchase

What is important to remember for amphibian housing?

Skin is water permeable, make sure they have a vivarium with land and water access

Make sure water quality is up to standard, avoid harsh chemicals, advanced filtration

Is the animal terrestrial, aquatic or semi aquatic?

What does diet depend on with amphibians?

Life stage, most are carnivorous as adults. Commercial feed shouldn’t be the only thing you are feeding, need live prey supplemented

Why is breeding such a challenge with amphibians?

Needs to be proper season, temperature and water condition

What are considerations to make with chelonians as pets?

They can be marine, freshwater or land dwelling (need proper housing with UV light)

Diet: tortoises are often herbivores, some omnivores, turtles/terrapins are usually carnivores

What are some health concerns with chelonians?

How do you do blood draws, bcs or physicals?

Hibernation

Cataracts/blindness

Obesity and anorexia

What are some considerations for having a squamata (lizard) as a pet?

Great beginner reptiles, have a large diet variety among species but almost always require supplementation.

Housing depends on lifestyle (terrestrial, arboreal, burrowing), UV sometimes required, need rough surface for shedding

What are some considerations for having a snake as a pet?

They are entirely carnivorous and eat whole prey, pre-killed vs live food can have issues with getting the snake to eat, provide separate container for feeding

Obesity can be an issue, need to maintain proper temperature for metabolic function (75-90F)

Need proper humidity for shedding

What are some common health issues with herps?

Disease: can easily spread across the collection and into the wild if sick animal is released

Parasites: mites, ticks, worms

Metabolic Bone Disease: Improper Ca:P, lack of UVB, provide Vitamin D3

Why are fish a popular pet?

• reduce stress

• less demanding

• beautiful and unique without being a ton of work

• expendable

What are the three rules for fish management?

1. don’t overfeed

2. don’t overcrowd

3. if one fish can fit another fish in its mouth, it will!

Goldfish care and facts

• easiest to keep

• resistant to ammonia buildup and temperature

• variety of shapes and color

• domesticated in 1,000 AD

Tropical fish considerations

• need heater to keep water mid to upper 70s

• beginners should stick to less aggressive and more ammonia tolerant fish like: live-bearers, gouramis, danios, rainbowfish, barbs and tetras

• More experience, less resistant, more aggressive fish: catfish, cichlids

Considerations for building your tank

• select your fish and research proper housing

• know tank limitations and preferences

• Filtration—> mechanical, chemical, biological

Why is it important to regulate the nitrogen cycle in tanks?

fish produced ammonia as waste, need two different kinds of bacteria to convert ammonia into nitrites and then nitrates. Nitrates are less harmful than nitrites and can be removed by plants or with water changes

Why are larger tanks more successful and survivable?

Wastes are diluted much easier and more survivable

What are some other considerations for your tank?

Lighting, food, heating and decorations (at least have gravel)

Why is water such a big part of fish management?

improper pH, build up of ammonia, mineral level, proper cycling, disease management will all help keep fish alive

Why do we see less marine salt water tanks?

Require more work, cost and ethics are a consideration, wild caught fish but more are being bred in captivity

What are some considerations for caring for sick fish?

beware of self-medicating and treating your fish, vet care available but not common, disease (most caused by parasites, bacterial less common)

What should you do if one of your fish is sick but you don’t want to treat the whole tank?

Expose affected fish in a bucked of 1-2 gallons of tank water with aeration and dosed for 2-3 hours

What does the quick fix scheme involve?

Solutions to help care for fish depending on whether water is good or not good or if there are signs of disease

Fish breeding considerations

Either egg layers or live bearers, requires a LOT of work

• females lay up to 10000 eggs or very few

• depending on species female or male will care for eggs/babies

• Put eggs or babies in a separate tank, prone to being eaten

What are common businesses built from fish management?

Build or service tanks, stock and grow fish or corals, medical/veterinary care, nutrition, aquaculture

What pH scale should a tank be kept at? What do tropical tanks need? What about saltwater fish?

6.0 to 9.0

tropical 7.0

saltwater 8.6

How does pH affect ammonia and toxic vs non-toxic forms?

7.0 pH, 99% of ammonia is non-toxic, as pH increases ammonia is converted to toxic form

What temperature should these tanks be kept at: tropical, goldfish/koi/marine?

tropical 76-78F

goldfish/koi below 76F

marine aquarium 72-78F

How many pet birds are in the US? How much has bird ownership increased since the 2000s?

20.6 million birds in the US, increased 9% from 2000 to 2019.

Roughly 5% of Americans keep birds and each has between 3-4 birds

How old is the first bird fossil?

1st bird fossil is at least 150 million years old. Birds have not changed significantly since 70 mill years ago

What types of feathers do birds have?

Contour, flight, down feather, filoplum

What are the main flight adaptations of birds?

the sternum, vertebra fusion, hollow wing bones, flight muscles, air sacs

Classification of Birds

28 orders, 170 families and 9,000 species

Order psittaciforms

Family psittacidae

Subfamilies: psittacinae (parrots, macaws, parakeets, conures), sacatuinae (cockatoo) and loriinae (rainbow lorikeet)

Main classifications of birds

Passeriforms: “perching birds”, 65 families (fringillidae, estrididae, emberizadae,sturnidae)

Clumformes: Columbidae (doves) and phasianidae (quail)

What is animal welfare? What does the assessment involved?

The state of the animal, includes consideration of animal’s health, behavior and biological function asses the mental state of the animal

What are the three circles of animal welfare?

basic health and functioning, natural living, affective states

What are some examples of a positive mental state?

Satisfied, comfortable, playful, affectionate, confident, calm, encouraged

What are the five freedoms?

What does the association of shelter veterinarians involve? OR what are some field services provided by Orange County?

• management and record keeping

• population management

• animal handling

• facilities

• sanitation

• medical health

• shelter surger

• forensics

• behavioral and mental health/well being

• euthanasia

• animal transport/relocation

• disaster response

• public health

What is the difference between “kill” and “no kill” shelters?

“No kill” just means less than 9% throughout the year (SPCA example)

What are challenges that “no kill” or open-intake shelters have to deal with?

Capacity for care (space, staffing, feeding/cleaning), length of stay, etc

What are common stressors associated with shelters?

• handling

• transport

• noise and smell

• medical/surgical treatment

• people

• housing

• diet change

• new routine

• other animals

• length of stay

• infectious diseases

What are the major overall challenges shelters face?

• pet retention

• backyard breeders/unplanned breeding

• large breeds, active breed, “bully” breeds

• under socialized dogs

• behavior cases

• feral cats

• staff retention and shelter capacity

• veterinary support

• spay/neuter capacity

What are things we can do to help shelters?

• advocate for spay/neuter

• advocate for shelter adoptions

• donations

• community events

• educate friends and families

• assist with re-homing efforts

What is domestication syndrome?

Features seen across many domesticated species, either behavioral or phenotypic traits such as neotany, shorter reproductive cycles, increased tameness, changes in ears and mouths, teeth changes,etc

What species has been shown as evidence for self-domestication?

Raccoons

Who experimented with foxes to show how domestication or selecting for tameness changes physiology?

Beylaev’s experiment with silver foxes

What experiment did Dr. Ferrans show with Goose?

How do we feed non-domesticated species?

Consider

• target goal of nutrition program

• feed items available

• appropriateness of food items (physical form and ingredients)

• Formulating complete diets and diet components

• Importance of regulatory and quality standards

Target of nutrition program- what are you trying to accomplish and what should you consider?

• pathologies

• life stages

• preferences

• body condition

What are some ways we formulate manufactured diets?

• Least cost: cost is determining factor of what ingredients are used

• Fixed formulation: ingredients are locked, nutrients vary from batch to batch

• Constant nutrition: all major ingredients analyzed for key nutrients, allows a “window” for all natural ingredients (ex. fish meal 30-34%)

What are labelling requirements for manufactured diets?

• Brand name

• product name

• purpose statement

• guaranteed analysis

• list of ingredients

• directions for use

• warning statements

• name and address of manufacturer

• quantity statement

Why are insects being used an alternative source of protein? What are main insects used?

Sustainability concerns, nutritional concerns and novelty.

• Black Soldier Fly larvae is one of interest (native worldwide, don’t bite, rapid life cycle)

What are basic diets available for insectivores?

Crickets, mealworms, black soldier fly larvae, mazuri manufactured diets

Who spoke about domestication cognition?

Dr. Morgan Ferrans, PhD

Who spoke about administration management in vet med?

Sarah Van Staalduinen, Prev ANS 400 student

Who spoke about careers in animal nutrition?

Dr. Liz Koutsos, PhD

What spoke about shelter animal welfare?

Dr. Sandra Strong, DVM, Merck Animal Health

How did Koi come to be so popular?

• association with japanese culture

• “living art”

• easy to manage

• high value hobby

What are some general husbandry and nutrition concerns for Koi?

• Don’t require as much “hands-on” care

• need proper housing (lots of space, filtration/water quality)

• Parasites/diseases- KHV

• Predators (otters, raccoons, cats)

• Copper toxicity

• Natural breeding injuries

What skills are needed to manage a koi pond?

Business savvy, experience managing tanks/ponds, fish husbandry, electricity and plumbing

What makes some koi may be more valuable than others?

Females are larger, red/orange spot on head looks like Japanese flag, whitest white is more desirable

What behaviors and jobs do the dogs perform at the Cary K-9 Unit?

Object/Article Search, Apprehension, Bomb search

How are the Cary K-9 unit dogs trained? What kinds of breeds were there?

Trained with positive reinforcement using a reward such as a toy. Dutch Shepherd (Arlo, Officer Cotten), Malinois, Lab Retriever

What is AAFCO?

Association of American Feed Control Officials

What are some concerns with fad diets?

Improper nutrition, bacterial contamination, vegan diets

What are main differences between cat and dog nutrition?

Cats require specific supplementation (taurine, vitamin A, arachidonic acid, niacin) and are carnivores, dogs are considered omnivores